Since I
already did a band review for Dave Hause back in October, I want to focus on
things specific to the show.
I had never
been to the Hawthorne Theatre or Lounge before, and I was pretty impressed with
the separation of the spaces. There was a very loud T Mills show in the
theater, and every now and then someone would open a door and you could kind of
hear the beats, but basically their night did not intrude on ours, and that was
a good thing.
The lounge
was a more intimate space than I was expecting, and I have it on good authority
that the PA system sucks, but I felt like the acoustics were good. The music
filled the space well,and there was an overall feeling of warmth that was
helped by the bands and the venue staff.
It was a
pretty stripped down gig. Steve Nobles and Northcote were both one man with a
guitar. When Dave Hause took the stage, he took it with his kid brother Tim,
doubling the band size, but even so, Tim was only up there for some of the
songs.
There was a
flexibility and togetherness that worked. Not only did Tim keep getting on and
off the stage, but at one point Northcote's John Goud came up and helped on
another number, as well as a representative from Dave's label, Rise Records.
Dave suddenly took over the keyboard on "The Great Depression", and
it was beautiful and poignant and a different way of seeing the song.
It's not
that there wouldn't be benefits in a bigger setup, with more crew and stage,
but what there was worked really well, and it felt like an amazingly grateful
version of "The Shine". These
are people who appreciate each other. Tim at times seemed very much the callow
youth, but he did win my heart in the way he wholeheartedly enjoyed
Northcote's performance, singing along and not being aloof.
It makes
the shows good, but it may also have benefits on the road. Knowing that they
have been touring at a fast pace through the frozen North, everyone's energy
and spirits seemed really good, and Dave was in great voice. Some of the
circumstances may not be ideal, but they are really handling it well.
The set was
a good representation of Devour. It was not completely devoid of older
material, but I did not get "C'mon Kid" or "Pray For
Tucson", which I had wanted. "Bricks" evokes some of the same
emotions of "Pray For Tucson" though, and ultimately, it was a good
set. This was a good show.
There are
still several opportunities to catch them. You can check the schedule at http://www.davehause.com/tour-dates/.
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